Chief Engineer, Space Systems Architect

Firefly Aerospace, Inc.; Cedar Park (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Parental leave

Relocation benefits

Educational reimbursement

Short-term disability

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Cedar Park, TX seeks a Chief Engineer to define vehicle-level architecture, optimize system trades, and lead risk management for spaceflight programs.

This role requires coordinating with Production, Quality Assurance, and Program Management to ensure mission success and technical integrity. You will act as the primary technical authority, guide interdisciplinary optimization, and travel to launch sites as needed while mentoring the engineering team from our Cedar Park

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 8+ years aerospace engineering experience at vehicle level.
• Master's or PhD in engineering preferred.
• Travel ~10% of the time for launch campaigns.
• Strong communication and teamwork.
• Experience with risk management and design configuration.
• Experience with mission readiness and data reviews.

Responsibilities

• Define vehicle-level architecture and capabilities.
• Lead system-level trades to drive design and functionality.
• Analyze mass, performance, power, and data budgets.
• Chair vehicle-level design and milestone reviews.
• Provide on-console support during tests and launches.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across programs.
• Mentor the team and support Chief Engineering leadership.

Skills

Engineering problem solving

Interdisciplinary systems

Travel ability

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Leadership mentoring

TS/SCI eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's or PhD in engineering

Tools

Confluence

Jira

Bitbucket

Teamcenter

Epsilon3

Odoo

Job description

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. in Cedar Park, TX seeks a Chief Engineer to define vehicle-level architecture, optimize system trades, and lead risk management for spaceflight programs.

This role requires coordinating with Production, Quality Assurance, and Program Management to ensure mission success and technical integrity. You will act as the primary technical authority, guide interdisciplinary optimization, and travel to launch sites as needed while mentoring the engineering team from our Cedar Park